Get to know the first woman to ever run in the Boston Marathon in this fascinating nonfiction Level 3 Ready-to-Read, part of a series of biographies about people “you should meet!”

Meet Roberta Gibb. In 1966, Roberta was the first woman ever to run in the Boston Marathon. When Roberta applied for the event she received a letter saying women were not physically able to run marathons and therefore her request was denied. Roberta decided to run anyway, and told her mom, “This is really going to change things for women.” She disguised her appearance with a blue hooded sweatshirt pulled up over her head and her brother’s Bermuda shorts. Instead of being ridiculed, when the men running realized she was a woman, they cheered her on as she became the first woman to ever complete the Boston marathon!

A special section at the back of the book includes extras on subjects like history and math, plus exercise and nutrition tips for kids. With the You Should Meet series, learning about historical figures has never been so much fun!

Laurie Calkhoven is the author of many books, including George Washington: An American Life and Harriet Tubman: Leading the Way to Freedom. She lives in New York City. Visit her at LaurieCalkhoven.com.